


Frost

by mrain



Category: Original Work
Genre: Anal Sex, D/s relashionship, Dubious Consent, Forced Marriage, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-30
Updated: 2015-08-30
Packaged: 2018-04-18 03:07:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4690001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrain/pseuds/mrain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A tale of naiveness, betrayal and arranged marriages.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Henry could barely contain his excitement.

In his chamber of the castle, he saw the servants packing his clothes and books. With nothing to do, he paced back and forth. Now and then he paused and offered help, but they only frowned at him.

The sun was peeking in the horizon, the castle awoken with screams and loud talking.

He walked to the windows and gazed at the dawn behind the slightly dusty glass. Mithlond was such a warm country. Not only the weather, but the people too, always hugging and smiling. He wondered what the cold would feel like.

"Kid!"

Henry turned from the window and saw his brother leaning on the door of his chamber.

He scowled.

"Told you not to call me that, Alinor."

Alinor gave him a crooked smile. The third born, his brother was an awkward figure. One leg was slightly shorter than the other, so he leaned to one side too much and limped. Also very shy among strangers, and putting his foot in his mouth more times than he could afford it. But his black curls and mischievous blue eyes made impossible to call him ugly.

He walked inside the room, giving space for the four servants to walk out with the bags and a big chest.

"Father told me to take you to the horses. We're almost leaving." He leaned on the window looking at the green fields the morning sun was brightening up. Henry looked up at him, grin on his face.

"Already? Why didn't you came sooner?"

"You won't even miss here will you?" Alinor snarled.

Henry inclined his head and stared at him confused.

"But it will only be a month..."

"My ass will freeze there!"

He sighed turning away from him. "I know your leg will hurt a bit, but think about all the new things we'll see!" He pleaded.

He turned and slipped away from his room, walking down the halls knowing his brother was on his heels.

"The only thing I want to see is the way back. You know what they say about Hullians!"

"Don't you dare say these things in Hull! Father said they can be violent if offended."

"That only proves it! How do we know they are better than barbarians? Diana will probably be eaten alive! I heard they're cannibals-"

Henry laughed. "That's just rumors. Diana's marrying the king, so you better be nice to him."

They descended the last stairs, Alinor leaning on his shoulder, and walked out to the carriages. They had everything ready, his sister was already inside the bigger carriage, where he and Alinor would be too. There was one separated for his parents.

"Ah, there are the boys! Go on in, if we hit the road now we might get there in a little less than a week." His father said loudly beside the horses.

He walked in and sat beside Diana. The carriage was comfortable and full of cushions and he sighed leaning against them.

"Are you scared, Diana?" He looked sideways at his sister.

She narrowed her eyes. "Scared? Of the king?"

He nodded. "Yes. Alinor said they aren't any better than... barbarians."

Everyone cringed a the name.

"Anything is better than barbarians. And I am not afraid. I like that they are very tall… and handsome." She giggled. Alinor grunted in disgust, but they ignore him.

"And if they are bad people, father wouldn't be doing this, right? We're safe!" She smiled.

When the carriage started to move, Henry could not contain a giggle.

"You laugh at my misery, Fey." Alinor snarled.

Henry bumped hard at him with his shoulder.

"Don't be a bore. You can stay inside the hearth when we get there, for all I care. I'm going to hunt mountain bears." He sighed wistfully.

Alinor gave up and turned around, deciding to mock Diana instead. "So, tall and handsome, really? That was what convinced you?" He asked.

"Well, they are taller than you." She smirked. "And that is more than enough for me, my dear brother."

His father had spent the whole month teaching him and his brothers about the costumes and traditions of the Hull country. Henry had to admit being a little overwhelmed by some traditions.

"You'll marry a king. You have to be afraid." Henry said, empathy bubbling in his chest.

Diana was twenty, and his mother said she was way past marriage time. They were all scared she'd have to go to the temple or be left to rot in the castle, when his father told them about the marriage, out of nowhere.

"If I could have my way, I wouldn't marry anyone. What I really want is to become a healer." She sighed. "But the best thing now is to make father happy."

"But-"

She fiddled with her hands, looking at anywhere but Henry's eyes.

"I am a little afraid, but what's the point to wonder?" And Henry sat quiet. He would never be brave like that.

Then his mind sidetracked to the mountains of Hull. And the white snow. The scary bare trees and clean sky at night. Oh, the tales he heard. Sometimes... scary tales, but he's also willing to put his own prejudices aside. He knew he was very charming, all the ladies said so to him, so he would probably befriend the royal family very easily.

Henry was the younger son at eighteen, and the fairest. His hair was of a chestnut color that he got from his mother, and his eyes were grey like his father's. His brothers made fun of him for not being very tall.

His people, his father explained one day, were famous for the fair skin, auburn hair and noble gestures. Hullians, mostly, were tanned of skin, dark of hair and very rough, he said.

Honestly, Henry was against the marriage of Diana. He didn't thought it was fair to marry her with another when she didn't wanted to. If only he could talk to the king and see if things could be solved in another way...

"Diana… If you want to, I could-" Henry whispered at her.

"No, Henry. Please don't do anything." She looked more angry than sad. "It's just how things are."

The carriage started to bump and shake along the road, and Henry frowned at Diana. She didn't look very scared.

In fact, everyone was acting weird around him lately.

**-.-.-.-**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

A bell rang three times before the gates of the fortress opened and Henry was desperate to enter. Rain was falling down the sky in buckets. His body was turning blue inside the carriage because the temperature was so low, Henry was sure it couldn't be normal. The guards seeing the party coming, screamed and called names to and fro.

Won by curiosity he stuck his head out the window, leaning on Alinor who cursed him. The wind and rain hit his face and but he managed to see two guards mentioning for them to enter, waving a banner. Under the rain and the disarray he couldn't really tell what any of those people looked like.

When the carriage finally stopped, servants, Henry assumed, came to help them. He and his siblings put on the coats with the hoods they carried on travels and one by one they got off the carriage. Henry's feet hit the muddy ground and he saw a man talking some strange words to his father before taking everyone inside the castle.

When they finally entered the hall his coat was already soaked, he was trembling and could barely move while the surprisingly small, rosy lady that came to take his coat off. He heard Alinor cursing, talking about how lords should be treated and swatting away the servant's hands, and couldn't help to laugh softly.

He noticed the servants taking his parents possessions, along with Diana's and Alinor's up the stairs. They were grumbling. He may have seen the little maid glaring at Alinor, and some guards didn't even bother to bow to his father.

But it was definitely warmer inside, Henry thought with a sigh. The hall was a beautiful, marble floor with a red carpet leading to an empty throne. There was a soft murmur of Hullian guards and servants around. The castle was way bigger than his family's, of course, but it also was bad lit, a little too dark for Henry's taste.

He didn't had time to appreciate the beauty of the entrance Hall though, because a strong sound of footsteps descending the stairs made Henry look up.

That's when Henry saw the him for the first time.

He had a giant cape made of fur on his back, trousers made of heavy leather. Thick boots, thick gloves and thick body. He came walking down the stairs with an aura of anger that made him a little scared, and a little excited too. People made way for him to past, and he was accompanied by an old man with a big beard that was shaking a paper at him and trying to get his attention.

Henry saw Diana straightening herself up, along with Alinor. He saw his parents put on smiles, too bright to be real, on their faces. He turned his gaze to the approaching man again.

He was walking straight to his family, frowning angrily at the old man by his side. The floor seemed to tremble under his weight, every time the boot made contact with the ground. Or was he just too sensitive?

His face was covered by a light bear, and his hair was black as coal. His eyes were hard, but he seemed no older than thirty. The man beside him was old, however, and had a way more friendly face. They approached his father and greetings were made.

"Your Highness." His father said, and everyone else repeated it, bowing respectfully.

His father turned to the old man. "Ataveus," he said, in a clipped voice.

"Ah, Lord Jeremy we thought you weren't arriving until next week. Eager, yeth?" The old man chuckled. Father looked uncomfortable.

"I didn't wanted to left the king waiting."

The old man turned and looked between him and Alinor. "Lord Henry Lorynn?"

"Yes, it's me." Henry replied, aloof.

He smiled, approvingly. "I do believe we have not met. I am Ataveus, the king's counselor. And translator for the evening." He said, a little indignant. "And you must be Alinor. And Diana, how much we hear about your beauty in this country..."

Henry wasn't paying much attention to the conversation, though. That was a warrior, right in front of him. Henry had heard a lot of tales about the king, the wars he'd fought. He couldn't believe he was standing right in front of the hero he head about. He looked up in awe.

That was King Haomath Onkmet Voakin.

The king looked down at his father, than his mother. He said some deep words Henry did not understood, but his father could speak a little of Hullian, and said something back. Then his gaze passed through Alinor and Diana, and found him.

He gazed at him for along time and Henry found himself getting flustered at the attention. He considered puffing his chest out but didn't wanted to look stupid.

Just when he was about to ask him what was wrong, the king walked up to him and a huge hand wrapped around his jaw, holding his chin up. He jumped in surprise at the touch, but didn't fight it.

"Priést?" The king asked.

His father had told him before to not fight physical greetings, and take their actions as mostly friendly. Well, this could be a physical greeting, right? Henry didn't wanted to anger the king, and like Diana had said, it was best to make his father happy. Even if he was basically selling Diana for money. So he fought his instinct to pull away.

"You _are_ an apprentice of a priest, isn't it?" Ataveus asked, in a calming voice, perhaps noticing that Henry was a little scared.

King Haomath didn't seem to noticed the reaction because his hands were traveling to his hair tugging it a little, and then down his neck. When the light touch turned into a caress, Henry was too uncomfortable to continue passive to the attention. He gently pried the invading hands from his neck and smiled politely up at the man.

He inclined his head, watching Henry curiously.

"Priést, du ha kom de wer hellig caesin ekess ve?" He said in a husky voice, and he could only understand "you" and "priest" from the sentence.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand..." Henry turned to the old man beside him for some translation.

Ataveus interrupted Henry from saying or doing anything else, seeming almost nervous.

"Why don't the family go to the rooms upstairs to change clothes so they can feast tonight, eh? Then we can discuss the matter!"

Ataveus said some fast words to the king, who looked concerned all of a sudden. Then he moved and walked away, barked orders to the guards, and other men came to take the most light possessions his family had brought with them. The king certainly wasn't normal type of royalty.

"Dali, follow me to your room, yeth?" Said the little maid from before. He nodded slowly, still a little bit in shock and followed her up the stairs and deeper into the castle. He found strange that he was being escorted in the opposite direction from rest of his family.

He glanced behind and saw Alinor looking back at him apparently confused too, but nor Diana nor his parents seemed worried. It was strange that he had more servants assigned for him than even his parents, now that he saw another woman and a man taking his bags too. He also found the maid annoying, but endearing in her way. Despite Hullians being rude, he was being treated very nicely.

_What a weird country._

**_-.-.-.-_ **

His room was by a corridor that was up a very big stair, but he was too tired to inspect it. If the caste was weirdly warm, this part was for sure the warmest. It was as if the sun itself was living inside these walls, making Henry very comfortable. If this was how the castle was kept the whole winter, Hull didn't seem so bad.

He went to the window and gazed at the landscape, the horizon full of spruce and pines, and he could see the mountains in the distance even with the rain, pouring tamer now. It was so comforting seeing the cold outside knowing he was all safe behind these walls. _I'll never see this again, after I'm done here_. He shivered in the warmth and for moment, wished to stay there, looking at that scene, forever.

The strong, dark skinned woman that he learned in the trip upstairs was named Kla, just Kla, no surname, dropped his chest on the floor with care, and then his bags beside it. The other servant, a man named Jiha, lit the fire for him, and the small chubby old lady - the maid called Ligia - dropped a strange but nicely wrapped bundle on the bed.

He eyed it, shyly.

"It's a present from King Haomath, Dali, for you." She smiled. He smiled too, couldn't help it. He loved gifts.

"I'll make sure to thank him, when I see him."

They moved around a little, lightening up candles, putting oil and a lamp by the bedside table - among other things. Henry was used to people taking care of him, was useless without it, and ignored the movement until they left with warm smiles that he was glad to return.

"If Dali needs things, Dali call us to the guard, yeth?" Jiha said, having more difficulty with the common language than the maid. Henry wondered what "Dali" meant, but nodded along. Did he head it before? He was certain of it.

"Yes, I will." He answered, not moving from the window.

They finally closed the door.

Shaking his head and turning from the window he found his wooden chest beside the bed and took his clothes off, leaving his dirty, beaten wet robes and breaches behind. The bed was very big and looked inviting.

He decided to seat upon it naked for a while. The blankets were a fine red silk of good quality and the fur blanket was so fluffy underneath him. He felt himself getting aroused from the warmth and the comforting silk, and tried to ignore it by distracting himself.

The room was beautiful, but rough, like the residents there. There was a bedside table made of fine wood, and a big mirror in a beautiful table, looking almost feminine with bottles of perfume, silver combs and other little objects all around it. There was a small round table close to the fireplace, and beside it, big comfortable looking chairs. He could see a bookcase that took almost an entire wall, and a very big wooden trunk by the bed that looked like it wasn't for decoration, it had a owner. There was a lock in it, but it wasn't closed. His own small chest was put beside it, he noticed.

Turning to the bed, he eyed the bundle made of cloth the maid dropped there. She had said it was from Haomath. He smiled at the present, he loved receiving gifts. Unwrapping the soft cloth he found a beautiful green robe inside, along with slippers that seemed quite expensive.

After inspecting all the little details he put away his new robes and shoes inside his chest. He sighed, feeling tired, and lay down naked on the middle of the big bed. He felt the fur and the silk caressing his skin, and promptly fell asleep.

**-.-.-.-**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Henry woke up with a loud banging on the door.

He felt a little shiver in his skin and it took a moment to realize where he was. He was in Hull, in a very big bed that he was starting to grow too fond of. Rubbing his eyes he noticed the shiver in his skin was because he was still naked. Slowly and sleepily, he got under the blankets he had fell asleep upon. It was dark outside, therefore it was still bedtime for Henry.

He sighed when the knocking on the door started again. "You may come in," he said.

It was Ligia who appeared on the other side and she seemed unfazed by his naked shoulder peeking from under the blanket, even pleased by the look of her face. His maid back in Mithlond would surely have tutted in disapprovement.

"Diner is soon, dali," she bowed.

Henry smiled at the nickname the seemed to have given him and dismissed her. "Yes, thank you. I'll be there soon." Maybe _dali_ was a word for _lord_ , and they were just too proud to say it in the common language, or something in the like.

She closed the door slowly.

Standing up, he stretched himself, noticing there were no more rain noises on the outside. His feet made slapping noises on the ground as he walked barefoot to the window.

It was very dark outside. He couldn't see the mountains, only a few lights of torches and lamparines from houses in the distance. He turned around and walked to his little green chest. He picked up his new robe, smiling at the beautiful golden lines that adorned it, forming the Hullian crest all around it. It seemed to be made especially for him. He decided not to put it on, it was just so beautiful, maybe a special occasion. Picking a plain brown one instead he dressed it, tied the rope around his waist and put on some slippers. Then he sat at the little table with the combs and did the best he could about the knots in his hair.

When he left the room, he noticed the castle was really dark at night. Some torches weren't even lit, and the ones that were didn't do much. A guard that was leaning on the wall immediately straightened himself up and came, bowing and saying "dali" among other words over and over. Henry just stood there, trying to grasp meanings. The guard gave him a self-conscious smile and tried again.

"Dinner room, follow Dali…" He paused a little, then shook his head. "Nie, nie, Dali follow ve," he said.

**-.-.-.-**

The dining room was big and had a rectangular table in the middle, all kinds of decoration on the walls, from armors to big red curtains. The table was adorned with craving in the wood and nice tapestries, upon which lied all kinds of food. But the smell of red meat made Henry's stomach cramp and suddenly he wasn't very hungry anymore.

The king was there as well, at the head of the table, looking powerful as always. His eyes zeroed on him when Henry entered and followed his moves. Henry was about to seat beside Diana when Haomath reached for the chair on his right side and pulled it back, calling him by that strange name.

"Dalikath."

Unable to deny and seeing no reason to, Henry nodded at him and walked to the chair, receiving an approving look from the man in reward.

This was not the official dining room, he noticed.

The table was a small one, probably meant for family meetings, but it was still big. There were six seats on each side plus the ones at the edges. He was seating on the right side of the king, and beside Henry was Diana. On the other side, across from Henry was his father, his mother and Alinor. The food consisted of boar meat, chicken, and vegetables.

As he piled the vegetables on his plate and drank a little wine, he noticed Haomath looking at his plate, a weird look on his face, almost as if he was offended.

He definitely did have a permanent frown on his handsome face, making him look worried and alert all the time. Henry's eyes dropped to the food, not wanting to distract himself by the man's looks. He did not liked when he began to notice men attractiveness.

Henry self consciously put down his fork and the glass.

"Yes, Your Highness?" Henry said. It was always better to please the powerful.

"Wo er xuut mrith wer kjott, dalikath?" The last world coming husky, while those two black pools gazed into his own grey eyes. And he could only stare at the bigger man helplessly. The only words he understood from all that was _"kjott"_ , that was meat. The way he talked was funny as if there was a lot of volume and anger in his voice that he had to contain in order to come out softer. It definitely didn't came out softer. Henry guessed the man was more used to talking with his warriors, not a dinners with other royals.

Ataveus, his counselor, looked amused.

"I always told him to learn the common language but he is stubborn. He is wondering why you did not touch the meat. I can say that I am wondering as well."

Henry smiled at him.

"I am an apprentice of the priest, as you already know. Well, that's why I don't eat animal meat, except at the ritual days. I do, however eat fish everyday."

The king translated, and Haomath nodded along, with a ghost of a smile in his face.

His hand reached for Henry. It was so natural, he just lifted it in the air, and went right for his cheek.

Henry thought that maybe his face gave away his panic because Haomath hesitated, then looked at Ataveus. Henry turned to him too, and saw the old man giving the king a worried look and mumbling some words from the end of the table. Haomath huffed at Ataveus, before putting his hand back on the table, and went back to eating his own food.

Henry felt his cheek hot, and resisted the urge to touch it. Instead, he mechanically took turns at eating and drinking the water.

Thinking about it, the gesture was probably a Hullian thing. Maybe Henry reacted so badly at the first greeting, that Ataveus told the king no to do it anymore. Thinking deeper about it, he even felt a little guilty, but he also felt too nervous and uncomfortable when the man touched him like that. So he was a little relieved too.

The mood went back to a straining and tense one, after the brief conversation, and he could sense that it was coming from his family. Ataveus and Haomath had an aura of satisfaction and control, an easiness in their behavior. For them, surely it was all fine with Diana coming early for the marriage.

He looked at Diana. She seemed pretty alright, seating at the same table the scary, dangerous looking man she was supposed to marry was sitting. He could tell she was wary, but not desperate.

Perhaps it was because Haomath had not spared her an eye the whole diner. His gaze keep coming back to Henry, and Ataveus. Those two seemed to communicate a lot with only their eyes, and he could only guess what they were thinking.

But he was the only one noticing that. Alinor was digging the food and not paying attention to the surrounding. He had only paused to hear Henry and the king talking.

As they finished eating Ataveus lifted a glass of wine in the air.

"We cannot begin to say how much we are grateful that you accepted his request. After so much time ruling this country alone, King Homath's only wish was someone that could take care of him on these cold nights, " he said, with a soft smile on his face.

Henry frowned at Ataveus, not really understanding why he was looking at him. He looked sideways at Diana, and saw she was clutching the fork in her hands and her eyes watering.

He felt a impulsive desire to stand up now, plead for Diana's right to be a free woman, but if he really wanted to help, this was not the way to do it. He could only smile and nod along.

His mother clutched his father's shoulder, and before Ataveus could continue his speech, she interrupted him.

"We all thank you for the great dinner, really, but we are still tired from the trip. Also we have so many things to do back in Mithlond... I heard the ceremony can be made in a week?"

Ataveus looked amused at her interruption, almost laughing at her in an inside joke Henry could not understand. He translated his mother's speech to Haomath who in turn said something back, waving a dismissive hand.

"Yes," Ataveus said to his parents. "A week from now would be the best."

The king stood up then, and everyone including Henry followed. In a fashion that Henry was sure now it was just the man's personality, Haomath gave Henry a nod, turned around and walked away, starting a discussion with a guard that accompanied him. Henry arranged his brown robes around him, frowning at the retreating figure.

Ataveus chuckled by his side.

"The king is very distractible. Never rests." Ataveus told him. Henry smiled politely, not sure of what to say.

"Maybe with Dali here now, he will relax a little huh?" He whispered smirking, as if sharing a secret. Henry nodded, still a little confused, and Ataveus departed wishing him a good night.

Alinor was being escorted by a servant, so he didn't worried about him tripping the stairs. Henry said goodnight to Diana and called to his parents who were already walking upstairs. He wanted to discuss the whole situation at diner with them. Doubts were swimming through his mind, and he wanted more information about Hullians and those strange words they used all the time.

"Father, if we could maybe talk-"

His father turned and Henry saw his impatient face, the one he used around him most of the time. There would be no talking tonight.

"In the morning, Henry. It's late, have a good night." He said, barely turning, looking almost like he was running from his son. Henry was used to the hurt.

He realized, after some seconds staring at the stairs, that he was alone in the dining room. He always felt colder when he was alone.

He walked confused to his room, where it was warmer.

**-.-.-.-**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

He was awake. Why? It wasn't morning yet. Hmmm… Something made a noise. Where? Henry moved under the blankets. There it was the noise again! It came from the foot of the bed. Henry tried to open his blurry eyes and saw nothing. It was really dark, no lamp nor torch lit, and the fire was dead. By the moonlight, he could only see silhouettes. He could see one now. Looked like a tall person. The figure was rummaging through the big trunk, it seemed. The top was open and whatever was inside made a sound of cashing metal when the person moved stuff around. Henry calmly observed that from his lying position, still half asleep.

The figure stilled, as if sensing Henry was awake. _He_ looked up and murmured something. _His_ voice was deep, like...

Was that Haomath? Was Henry dreaming?

The figure murmured more, words Henry was too tired to make sense of, and closed the trunk slowly. The _man - because it sounded like Haomath, but it couldn't be, right? -_ reached out a hand and rubbed Henry's foot and calves over the covers, making him shift and curl his feet under himself. The man chuckled and left the room, carrying whatever he got from the trunk and pushing the door closed. A click was heard in the bedroom.

It took some moments but Henry decided to follow, in fear and curiosity. He walked to the door and tried to open it.

It was locked.

He pushed it again, without luck. The door didn't even moved, such heaviness it had. He shook his head and went back to bed in a daze.

**-.-.-.-**

He was stalking through the corridors the next day. It was almost midday and Henry wanted to find somebody to talk to. He had had breakfast in bed, Kla brought him a very wide tray with all kinds of food, and now Henry wanted to explore.

The night before left him feeling lost, like there was something people weren't telling him. And there was his dream last night. He couldn't remember much of it, but he was almost sure somebody entered his room at night and locked the door on the way out. He was also almost sure it was Haomath. But the door was unlocked this morning, and the trunk was looking untouched - though Henry hadn't dared to open it. It felt like invasion of privacy. _This is not my castle_ , he reminded himself. _This is not my country. This is Hull, and it has it's own_ _rules._

And the dream felt too hazy to give credit for. _Yes_ , Henry nodded to himself. _It has to be just a dream._

Henry walked down another set of stair finding himself in yet another big hall. He furrowed his eyebrows trying to remember the way to the dining room, and from there he tried to find the kitchen.

Walking around the castle was interesting because it was much more complex than his father's. The castle wasn't very old, looking well constructed and very solid. There were paintings in the walls, but mostly axes and swords with names on it, probably late owners. The carpet was all over the floor, and when there wasn't any, there was soft wood or soft stone. It felt comfortable to walk around it, and it had so many chambers and secrets Henry was thrilled to see. The guards that were patrolling smiled at him and wished good morning in Hullian, two little words he now was expert on.

"Maat nakit." He said, passing another guard which bowed, in a natural, carefree way - not the mechanical and stiff way the guards back in Mithlond did.

There couldn't be more than five guards inside, and four or so servants and two young maids. Sometimes he passed the same person twice and, mocking innocence, he said _maat nakit_ again. They'd say it back, laughing, bowing and squeezing his shoulders in a friendly gesture. He kind of liked those moody, rude hullians. They were endearing in their own ways.

They treated him better them people in Mithlond, but Henry wouldn't go there, wouldn't allow himself to think about it. It always ended in tears.

"Maat nakit, Dali meg," the guard said smiling, and continued walking.

Soon enough, Henry heard loud noises coming from behind an alcove, and he found an entrance to the kitchen.

There was ten cooks in there, to Henry's surprise. Ligia was there too, talking sternly to another chubby man that was stirring a pot. It smelled wonderful, and his eyes scanned the large place that had all kinds of food being made, probably to all the people living inside the fortress. But still, that was a lot of people.

She smiled wide when she noticed him.

"Dali! You shouldn't be in the kitchen," she said, ushering him inside anyway and walking to a basket full of shiny apples.

"I just wanted to get to know the place better," he said taking an apple from the basket and admiring the bright red color. _Where could they have possibly found those in this cold?_

"Oh, _dali,_ " she bowed lowly. "Forgive me for assuming what you are thinking, but Hull does not stop in the winter. Our hunters do just as good in the snow, is the mithlorns that tend to hibernate in the season. Can't handle the frost, the lot of them. I mean, _them_! Your family… If you forgive me saying, _dali_ … I don't mind them almost entering the hearth. But they _whine_ ," that made Henry laughed at the stern woman and Ligia visibly relaxed, looking proud of her feat. "And this week is a cold one, but it'll get better," she said, smiling and Henry blushed. Did he had such an open face?

"I don't mind the cold," he said in a small voice. He was also a bad liar.

She lifted an eyebrow. "Forgive me saying, but... _dali_ would go to his bedchamber at first opportunity."

"Hmm," he smirked, embarrassed. "About that-"

"It's the hot spring not far from here. It goes right under the castle, warms it up good, _dali_. Your bed chamber is the one who gets most of it's heat. If _dali_ asks, maybe the _Siath_ shows you, _yeth_?" she said, bowing lowly again before and wandered off to check on the pots. _Siath_ was a word for _Warlord_ or _King_ , his father had said.

He sat at a chair that was close to the table were the basket was on, and started to chew on the apple. It was good! Better than the ones in Mithlond. The kitchen was really clean too.

Paying more attention, the wide kitchen had several tables with a lot of servants and cooks working on meat, that went from still alive to already cooked.

It was so full of food. Henry was certain not even the King of Mithlond was so well provided.

The people working in there bowed every time Henry meet their eyes and whispered something between themselves, making Henry feel a bit out of place. Surely, he wasn't supposed to be wandering around the kitchen but he was feeling alone.

"Ligia… does the whole kingdom have this sort of food on their tables or… or is just this castle?" He asked hesitantly not wanting to offend but needing to know.

She frowned at him from the soup she was stirring, as if trying to understand the question. He winced, his father had told more than once that Henry should keep his mouth shut.

"I… I didn't mean like- I'm sorry."

"Oh! You mean if the kingdom is poor!" her face lit up with understanding, and his stomach dropped at the crude words. "Oh, _dali_ , what a good heart you have. Do not worry, hullians were nomads once, we know how to hunt in these mountains. And the people that can't, King Haomath gives food away at the Great Kitchen downtown. That's why the cooks are always working. Well, usually most of them are at the Great Kitchen, but Haomath is letting them use this one this week. There is a lot of preparations for the marriage, the whole kingdom will come to see," she smiled softly.

Henry flinched inside at the subject of Diana's marriage and tried to change it. "I don't understand. What do you mean by _nomads_?" Henry asked.

"Oh, _dali_ does not know the story," she chuckled, and then frowned. "Well, I think the word mithlorns use is _barbarian_. D _ali_ , we have more soldiers than every country in the land combined, Hull is almost another continent on it's own."

She took a seat by his side, and took a deep breath.

"Once we were barbarians. They said it was just war and famine before. The old leader tried to steal from other kingdoms and our people were dying from the attacks. That's when the First King came. He was the son of a Frost Giant. Oh, don't look at me like that, they do exist. Mithlorns try to forget the existence of other races, but there is more to the land than humans."

Ligia seemed quite the believer, Henry though. She smiled at his bewildered face. "Well, The First King was the offspring of a Frost Giant with a human. He was abandoned as a baby and a man from the tribe raised him. He grew up and one day he challenged the leader of the tribe. The tribe supported him. He was good and fair to us, and we were willing to follow him to the end of the land. He led an entire tribe of barbarians through this whole continent looking for a good place to stay.

"When he found this part of the continent, he saw the land was cursed to die. It was colder here than in any other place, and the forests were rough and wild. But the First King was blessed by the gods for his good intentions, and the gods gave him the land, and he called it Hull. It means _Frost_ in our language. We became hullians. And he took control of the land, the _frost_ , learning when to plant, and where to hunt." She said, voice thick with pride.

"His name was Onkmet Voakin."

Henry looked up at her. "Do you mean…"

"Yeth, dali. King Haomath's father." She nodded. "Carrying on his legacy, he's the son of Onkmet with a Frost Giant too. It's a pact now, for their mistake in abandoning a baby blessed by the gods. They give a baby to rule the land, and the baby is the strongest because of his blood. Frost Giants don't care for their babies. Most of the mothers eat one of her baby when she has twins, and abandon them when it reaches five years of life. They are more ogres than people," she huffed indignantly.

Henry decided he was going to believe in Frost Giants when he sees one, but he found her beliefs endearing. They talked a little more and Ligia told him about the map of the castle she could give him later. Also, apparently there weren't mountain bears to hunt in Hull, but there were forest wolves. In any case, he couldn't hunt them because they were five and a half feet tall - only skilled warriors like Haomath could take one down.

He noticed he had already eaten three apples, and decided he was full. Just as he was about to leave, three tall strong man entered the kitchen. They were all dressed in fur capes, with bows and armor hanging from their shoulders, and their boots made loud noises when they entered. One of them barked something to the head cook who nodded and walked away.

"The king is asking us to separate some meat for a group he's going to take into the forest, he likes to make them train there _._ " Ligia said getting up.

The three man noticed his present and bowed, saying greetings. Only then Henry noticed they were holding big bags that smelled like… fish?

He was brightening up at the thought of fish for lunch, and servants came holding a bunch of bags with what smelled like meat. They exchanged bags and the tree man left the kitchen.

**-.-.-.-**

Henry took longs gulps of the water and swallowed another chunk of the fish. It was so good! Ataveus was extremely amused by the groans and the blissful faces. They were in a nice little room with a small round table where lunch was laid, and two chairs on each side. Henry liked the big window that the room had. He could see the snow outside.

Ataveus told him that his family had apparently went _without him_ to meet the city and would be late for lunch. He didn't mind. Ataveus was nice and hadn't made any comments about Henry's less than dignified table manners. He usually wasn't this bad, but he was so hungry. And it was fish! You had to eat it like you were dying, there was no other way around it.

"Where is King Haomath? I haven't seen him around." Henry asked, only realizing after the question that he had been looking for the king unconsciously. He hasn't anywhere.

"Oh, he's not sleeping in the castle this week, he is sleeping by the barracks with the hunters. It was only for the week, to fulfill a…" his eyes rolled around, trying to find the right word. "...bargain. Today he will sleep inside, _dali_."

Henry nodded, and going for another piece of the fish, noticed it wasn't there anymore. He made an indignant face and eyed Ataveus' intact portion.

The old man laughed.

**-.-.-.-**

After a tiring day exploring the library, and the dungeons, and the secret passages he convinced a young maid to tell him about - she had giggled when he gave her a smile, and swooned when he gave her a peck in the cheek - Henry was ready to sleep. He chose not to have dinner, his family nowhere to be found and Ataveus too busy with some scrolls.

He was up the big stair that led to his bedroom, noticing there was no guards around.

Feeling a silent presence behind him when he was getting close to him door, he turned and gaped when he saw the King behind him.

"Dalikath," he said, smirking a little.

There was that name again.

"I am sorry, Your Highness. I cannot understand you." Henry baited.

The big man only came closer and it was fine until Henry had to take a step back. Haomath looked at him with affection in his eyes, something Henry was puzzling over.

The rough, big warrior's hand touched the fabric of his robes, and he flinched. Why, he didn't knew.

He really wanted to slap the man hands away, but he was afraid to offend the King. He was after all a Hullian, and they didn't reacted well to defiance.

He notice the man was only fondling the fabric clutching it between his calloused fingers and making it look like paper about to be parted.

"Oh, it's a priest robe, it's different from a lord's by the rope and the lack of breech..." He started rambling, but stopped himself. It wasn't like the man would understand anything anyway. Henry was a talkative person, and expressed himself that way. It would be hard to manage to communicate without it.

Haomath looked up from the robes and advanced again, this time taking Henry by surprise and he stumbled until his back touched the wall.

"Haomath!"

The man only grunted low at him, and Henry instinctively craved to fight back, but he held himself. Not only he could be misunderstanding the situation but he couldn't take an ant on a fight. He looked up at Haomath, searching for aggressiveness and finding none.

The man's hands now caught the rope that tied the robe in the middle and averted his eyes from Henry's to inspect it.

When Henry noticed the hurried motions of the nimble fingers was to _untie_ the rope, he panicked a little. _He didn't knew Hullians_ , a chant repeated in his mind. _He didn't knew this people at all._

"No, please leave it," he said, trying to be firm but coming out as shy instead. Haomath looked at him curiously.

"No?" He asked, amused, and as if in a challenge, let go of the robe to travel his rough hand up his thigh instead, dragging the robe upwards, and Henry watched that in horror, not even reacting for a moment. Henry _did_ slapped Haomath's hand away then. Haomath looked stunned when Henry, in a swift movement, opened the door behind him and got into his room.

He closed the door with a thump, and walked back staring at the doorknob.

But the doorknob didn't turn. The King didn't came in. A few seconds passed by and he heard a loud sigh on the other side, followed by the king's footsteps retreating.

He laughed nervously, uneasy and a little scared. He was panting a little, feeling like he had just escaped a predator's attack. Haomath was treating him _strangely_.

He had never been so close to another man before and his memories chose this time to remember the sweaty bodies of warriors fighting in Mithlond, the ones he could watch from his window sometimes, when they trained on the field. He flushed. _No one had to know that,_ he told himself.

He took off his clothes and put on a night shirt. After some seconds he decided to put on a linen underwear too. No more sleeping naked, what if Haomath really did entered his bedroom last night? He lay down on the bed thinking about the word the warlord had called him, again and again.

_Dalikath._

Probably a name for _Lord_ , Henry soothed himself.

Probably.

But that didn't explained the touch on his thigh. Henry felt like there was hundreds of puzzle pieces he had to move around to make sense of this, a hundred of little facts to understand what was going on, but he could only felt despair and a sense of lost.

Turning to his side, he laid his head on the pillow and closed his eyes, but his mind was restless.

His eyes went wide when he remembered what Ataveus said at lunch.

_"_ _Today he will sleep inside, Dali"_

He sat up on the bed, looking at down at the big trunk on the floor by the bed, feeling like he had just figured one of many mysteries.

**-.-.-.-**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Henry was feeling warm and cozy sitting on a well cushioned chair by the fire and a book "stolen" from the castle's library in his hands.

He had told the guard not to let _anyone_ enter without knocking, and stripped down to a night shirt. The book he was reading was in Hullian, but he was having fun with the pictures. Apparently, Frost Giants were like humans, but their skin were a shade of grayish white. There were pictures of them standing by fires, and enormous structures Henry supposed was their homes all over the mountains. It made him look at the icy mountains out the window a bit differently. The females were eight feet tall and the males could reach nine feet. Henry tried to imagine Haomath mating with a female and shuddered in disgust.

It was afternoon, not even close to evening, but he was feeling lazy that day. It wasn't just the warmth in this room made him feel so light and groggy. There was the fireplace that Henry asked Jiha to lit everyday and it provided a strange long lasting fire, and he was noticing how the hot spring affected the room. The walls, made of solid polished rock, still amazed him too. This was the most beautiful bedroom he had ever seen. He supposed his addiction for it was a mix of everything, now tainted with the knowledge it was the King's bedroom. He had felt an innocent but insistent _pull_ in his belly since day one, something that _wanted_ to curl in that bed naked forever. But _knowing_ that he wanted to curl up in another man's bed made things weird.

He had asked Ataveus that morning over breakfast- demanded it, really - to change rooms, but the old man said Haomath had decided to put him there and he could do nothing about it. He looked proud of Henry for asking, though. Made some comment about kicking the king out of the bedroom, which made Henry choke on his water. But Henry was surprised to notice he was not mad, not really angry. Just feeling a little out of place.

When Ataveus told him the other day Haomath wasn't sleeping in the castle, that he was spending the nights in the barracks with the soldiers, it had worried him a little. Now that Henry accidentally - _it was his own fault really_ \- kicked him from his own room, where was he sleeping?

He gazed at the window. It was just so cold outside. So much snow.

Haomath was probably fine though. He was no weak thing, no. He was a king, and he could take care of himself, probably having slept on forests and deserts before, on the hundreds of adventures he sure had. Henry sighed. That was _his_ dream.

But he didn't really wanted to see Haomath since that night. Well, he wanted to see the king, but only if Haomath to apologized for what he did. The… prank? He had noticed the king's strange fascination with him, probably for being a priest. Maybe that was a strange kind of hullian bonding, playing around with him like that. He didn't even knew for sure what had happened that night exactly, it was so confusing, but his instincts told him something was off.

He wanted _Mithlond._ He wanted home. Surprisingly, he missed the temple and his masters. He was a priest only because his father had believed Henry when he told him his wish to never marry and to go on adventures, being a hero. That hadn't went down well, his father's feared the word getting around that little Lord Henry was useless and off to the temple he went. Now, he kind of missed the morning prayers, the rituals around the statues, the routines. It was so easy to follow their orders, to feel the gods blessing. He was a little useless in the temple, doing more wrongs than rights, but they had patience with him.

But first, he wanted another room.

Well, he _didn't_ really, but it wasn't right to be in the king's bedroom. It felt dirty, like Henry was beneath all this and should be sleeping on the floor or something.

He had searched for his family in the morning too, but hadn't managed to find them. It was like they weren't even in the castle anymore. He knew they were there because he asked Ligia of their location from time to time, and he stumbled upon them on the corridors sometimes, but they didn't went off their way to find him. Without permission to leave the fortress, and with the cold outside, there was nothing else to do but to come back to Haomath's room. He felt yet again a shiver up his spine when he remembered he had slept in the same bed Haomath slept everyday, but it wasn't a bad shiver so he ignored it.

He heard footsteps in the corridor and sighed. So much for a lonely lazy evening. These guards seemed to search for him all the time trying to entertain him, or to see if he was okay, ask him if he was hungry or cold or too warm. But he couldn't go to the kitchen anymore, they said " _nie, nie, dali is not allowed"_. _But I'm a lord_! Henry smiled remembering Alinor's words. He shouldn't be treated like that. If it wasn't for his calm nature - meaning, of course, lack of back bone - he would be having Alinor's worthy hissy fits right now.

Knocks on the thick wooden door startled him from his musings.

"Oh. Um, in a minute!" he looked around and spotted his trunk. Couldn't really open the door like that, dressed on his nightshirt only.

He left his foot bare, a shirt was all he needed to feel warm in the room. But he knew the corridor was colder, so he searched for an open robe and draped it over it all.

He turned to the door while finger combing his annoying hair back from his face.

"You may come in!"

The door opened and revealed a tall thin men, looking healthy. Every servant in the castle seemed strong and vivid. He didn't knew this one's name, thought. It would take a whole month to learn and remember the name of everyone who worked here, despite the castle not being crowded. Weird names, and all.

The servant bowed and Henry noticed he was averting his eyes from his figure. Did all servants did that before? He was trying to remember. He was suddenly embarrassed of his milky legs half in display.

"Dali, the bath is ready, and you should go in now. Siath says you to prepare for a hunt today, in the Fallen River. He tells you to wear this clothes." The man said, bowing a little. "He says you are not to bring your bow, my dali."

_My dali_ , that was new. But he smiled, excited. It was a hunt! It was what he came here for. He took the clothes the servant had. He could forgive the King's behavior for a hunt.

"I'll call Alinor and Diana! She likes to watch, and Alinor can bring his sword."

The servant looked at him weirdly, but said nothing.

Henry shrugged. He wondered though, why Haomath had chose to hunt with him. _Maybe he finally noticed how nimble and sneaky I am._ He widened his eyes at the irony of that thought _._ Was he feeling that bitter? Henry needed to pay more attention to his feelings, that wasn't normal _. In an_ y way, hunting with such a great warrior would prove to be really fun, and he tried to lift himself up with that.

The bath was, surprisingly, in another room of the castle. In Mithlond they just brought the tub to their bedroom. This _bathroom_ was dark, with a large wooden tub in the middle. Henry was already shivering in anticipation. The corridors of the castle were warm, but not as much as his- _Haomath's_ bedroom. The new weather was making Henry notice the smaller shifts in the temperature, and seeking warmth like a wounded animal in the snow.

He walked in with Fonj, the servant that was accompanying him. Three maids were positioning the tub, which was already filled with hot water. Henry waited for them to leave and took his clothes of in a hurry.

Once without inside the tub, he sank low letting out a sigh. Yes, this was what he wanted, after being forced to leave his - _Oh, I'll be damned_ , _Haomath's! -_ warm bedroom. Maybe Alinor was right after all. Hull was way too cold for a Mithlond. How would Diana survive here after they were gone? He would tell her about The Bedroom and the hot spring. Being the wife, she wouldn't have to leave the castle much anyway.

He started to rub his skin with the rag and the soup, and grinned at the thought of hunting.

**-.-.-.-**

Henry walked to the diner table guided by Fonj, and was surprised to see his family already there, having an early dinner. He walked up to it and caught an apple from the fruit bowl in his hand - _this freakishly tasty hullian apple_ \- and sat on a chair. There was no sign of Ataveus, nor the Warlord.

Henry nodded to his father, and did a double take when he received a smile back. His mother also was smiling, looking relaxed for a change. Diana was a little downcast, but that was to be expected.

Alinor looked at him curiously.

"These clothes are strange."

"Haomath invited me for a hunt today. He told to wear these clothes." Henry said, picking at the fur and the oversized brown cotton shirt. It looked like it was made for a Hullian but it was pleasantly warm, something that Henry was unwillingly starting to associate with the King.

His father smiled even wider.

"That is great. You are a good hunter, Henry."

He narrowed his eyes.

"No, I am a terrible hunter. You always told me so," he drawled. "Bad hunter, bad warrior, bad lord. Good for being a priest, you said that."

"Of course you can hunt, dear." his mother intervened, looking worried. "We never actually mean you're bad, we just worried you could hurt yourself."

Henry looked at his father for confirmation. He nodded, a bit strained, but looking sincere. At least for Henry - that was the most earnest face his father had ever gave him.

He was beginning to feel a little excited.

"Well, I could get better with training mom, if father let me…"

"Yes of course, such a talent can't be lost, eh?" his mother said, distractedly cutting a bread slice and buttering it.

Henry smiled, feeling an old hurt starting to heal.

"Thank you, mom," he whispered blushing. "Thank you dad."

It was truth that Henry had some hard time with a bow, but if everyone treated him like a child of course he would have some difficulties! This was the perfect opportunity to prove himself.

"Why is he going with you anyway? Shouldn't he be bounding with Diana?" Alinor inquired.

"I asked myself that too. Perhaps the barbarian think so little of woman he will ignore her until the ceremony." Henry said.

His father looked paled and his mother might have gasped. Henry instantly felt a little guilty for that remark.

"Um. Yes, perhaps that's it. Barbarians have the most weird ways." his father cleared his throat. "Be careful in the snow, Henry."

"I'll be fine. The Warlord will be there with me," he smile and batted his eyelashes, making Alinor laugh.

"If you make these eyes at him, perhaps he'll mistake you for Diana!"

Henry punched Alinor in the arm.

"It's you that was pouting like a fair maiden the whole travel. Perhaps you're too delicate for the barbarian ways, Alinor."

Alinor opened his mouth to retort, but Ataveus interrupted by walking in.

"Henry. What a great sight to see you in hullian fur, even if they seem to swallow you a bit," he smiled. "The warlord awaits you by the gates. Better if you don't left him waiting, eh?"

Ataveus seemed the more sensible of all the northerns. Perhaps he tried to treat them with more softness because of the rumors surrounding this country, but he was not complaining. It was better of the rough way of Haomath.

In a rush of feelings, he remembered the last night outside his - no, Haomath's... bedroom. He was trying the hardest not to think about it, but now he was a little afraid to spend four hours or more in the snowy woods with a barbarian he didn't knew.

His mother seemed to sense his apprehension.

"It'll be fine Henry. We'll be waiting for you, so don't take too long," she said, and Henry was thrown of by the sweetness in her voice, the caring.

Such a one-day change of behavior.

**-.-.-.-**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Haomath was a strong and fast warrior.

Henry could barely keep up with him.

They were riding inside the woods. The trees were different from the south ones, they were sparse and dried, so it was easy for him to see and follow the big man. Henry sensed a night in these woods wouldn't be so easy. His horse was tall - Haomath had to help him to mount it - but it definitely felt safer. He _did_ have to rearrange himself on it all the time, and Henry was feeling cold in his fur cape, but didn't wanted to whine. Therefore, it wasn't a particularly comfortable ride he was having. He could definitely see himself having a nap inside the castle right now, and was having second thoughts about the whole hunting thing.

It seemed Haomath was forgetting that he was riding with Henry and not one of his soldiers. Now and then, the man turned to see how far back he was and his mouth twitched up in a sort of smile as he patiently waited for him to catch up. Henry had the feeling he was being mocked, but he ignored it.

They were completely alone, no servant nor guard accompanying them, and Henry thought that was weird. Surely it was dangerous for the king to go hunt alone. Henry himself wasn't that important but even he was always being escorted by a guard outside his castle.

Haomath started to slow down his pace and Henry saw the dry scary bare trees that he loved so much disappear one by one. He could hear water movements from afar and soon enough, they walked into clearing where the ground nestled the big, long stream of a river.

" _Halt_." Haomath barked in a loud tone and Henry scowled at his back and huffed loudly. _What a bad habit of barking._ The king turned to him in confusion and scanned his face.

"Halt… ?," he said again, this time softer. Henry smiled amused.

"Okay."

He jumped of the horse in one skilled movement that he was very proud of, thankful for not being very heavy. He was ready to hunt some wild boars or better yet, wild wolves.

Haomath unmounted too, slower, and unlatched his thick coat. He dropped it over the horse's saddle and Henry could see that his torso now was protected only by a thin, faded white shirt that stretched over his bulky muscles, but didn't seem to do anything to fight the cold. _Perhaps is the Giant's blood_ , Henry though, more willing to believe in Ligia's tales as the time passed. Once settled, Haomath opened a bag that was connected with the saddle of the horse. Henry could already see it was a bow.

But when he brought it closer, he saw that it wasn't just any bow.

"Oh, Gods."

Haomath passed the bow to his hands and he gazed at it, awed at the beautiful carvings on it, tracing it with his fingertips. It had metal, but it was still very light. It was shorter than a longbow, but only slightly and it had Henry's family name carved in the metal part. It was the most beautiful bow he had even seen.

Feeling his heartbeat increase in excitement he stood on his tiptoes and, without thinking, did a very common thing in Mithlond when one received a gift. He took the king's face in both hands and brought it down slightly to kiss both his cheeks. He was surprised at how easy it came the physical contact. Haomath was still, as if thinking that any abrupt movement may scared Henry away.

"Thank you," he said, and turned to examine the bow better. He heard Haomath clearing his throat, and turned to him. He was pointing at the river.

Henry looked closer, walking up to the border of the stream, and saw that small silver fishes were jumping up and down the river. The bigger ones were on the bottom. Haomath brought with him a quiver that was as beautiful as the bow, but Henry spent less time looking at it, quickly taking an offered arrow.

The first arrow went straight into the river, but came floating after some seconds. Henry gave Haomath an embarrassed smile and his lips twitched again in that almost smile of his.

He went to take the arrow back, but looked down at his new clothes and frowned. He didn't want to get wet. The water was probably really cold too.

Haomath appeared in his vision with a thin and sharp long lance. He threw it at the river with such an easy, calculated strength that made Henry take a step back. The lance went straight into a big one at the bottom. The fish trashed a little but the lance had gone through it and the tip stuck in the dirt beneath. He walked into the water that only came under his knees, and caught the fish in a basket. He threw the basket at Henry, with a nod. Henry put it aside.

When Henry lifted his bow to try again, Haomath came behind him, boots and hands wet, to fix his aim and the way he held the bow. _This is a king, a true warrior, a war expert,_ Henry though, and Haomath put a hand on his hip and while another slided down his arm, raising his elbow. _He is trying to teach me to fire a bow,_ Henry repeated in his head, when the cloth covered chest encountered his back and the hand in his hips tightened. Henry ignored the a hot breath by his neck when finally shot the arrow. He couldn't though ignore the heat he was enveloped in when Haomath stepped closer, and how he took the warmth with him when he left.

Soon enough, Henry had got a little better at fishing. But it was Haomath who filled the basket.

Henry wondered why they were fishing, not hunting. He also wondered about the gift, but he wouldn't complain about it. It was _his_ now. The whole fishing had been silent, and despite the lack of communication Henry could understand Haomath's body language just fine, and the king seemed to understand him too.

Haomath put the square basket inside a big a leather sack by the horse, and came to him. His hands traveled down his cheek and Henry pulled back, face numb from the cold. The king followed and leaned down planting a light kiss in his forehead. Henry felt the smell of wood, and rain and musk, and the memory of his supposed dream came back. There it was again... The flutter in his belly, the trill up his spine. He shoved the tall man back, only managing to stumble back himself, frowning and touching his forehead. Who was Haomath? A man that was rude and rough to other people but acted playful and affectioned around him?

Before he could open his mouth to finally let out his confusion, his thin waist was enveloped in Haomath's big hands and he was walked backwards a few steps, lifted up and put on the horse.

Henry rearrange himself on it but he was not tired of body, not ready to go back now that he was getting more used to the cold. But he _was_ tired of being manhandled, tired of being in the dark, tired of not speaking the stupid hullian language.

He wanted to go deeper into the woods, see some dangerous things. He wanted to hunt something big, and shove it under his father's face.

When Haomath turned his horse to go back, he didn't followed.

"Haomath!"

"Dalikath, fier," said Haomath, mentioning with his head for him to follow.

Henry shook his.

"No." He pointed at the forest. "I… I want to see wolves."

It was Haomath who frowned this time.

"Wolves?" he asked in a thick accent.

"Yes, let's hunt wolves," Henry said, a little embarrassed. He knew he couldn't but he really did want to do better than fish. He was tired of being treated like a child or a fragile lady. He knew the feeling bubbling in his chest, it was the one he always felt when he was about to do something stupid. Restless, wired. But it wasn't just for the need to prove himself. It was the feeling he'd been having all week, that little suspicion inside his head that he felt too stupid to figure out. He was already turning his horse to bait if needed. He wanted to unwind.

"Henry!" came the bark of Haomath, and despite feeling compelled to answer, he was also compelled to rebel.

He made his horse walk faster and faster deep into the woods, not sure anymore if it was the need to hunt that drove him or the need to run from all these doubts, from this invisible trap that seemed to close a little more around him everyday.

He felt the floor tremble and the heavy horse of Haomath running behind him and the blood rushed to his head. He was feeling warm all of a sudden, and his hands trembled. It was a chase now.

His horse was obviously used to the northern woods, because he jumped up and down and made turns that horses from Mithlorn wouldn't have done. Sometimes he felt like the horse was shaking his head at him, doing the exact opposite of what he meant to, saving him of a fall.

He saw Haomath approaching in the corner of his eyes, and tried to go faster. Then, without him noticing, Haomath changed directions, and disappeared from around him.

He could still hear the horse, but he could see him no more.

Knowing he was just trying to caught him in a trap, Henry swallowed all the excited noises that threatened to come out of his mouth, and ran around a small hill that he saw straight ahead.

But Haomath appeared, coming strong behind the hill making his horse walk backwards and throw him off his back. He fell on the snowy and muddy ground and lost his breath for a second.

"Ow," he laughed, feeling light. The smile died when he saw a furious Haomath walk his way.

Henry tried to get up but failed and trembled when the king got closer. He lifted his hands in a defensive manner.

"I'm okay, I'm okay!"

Haomath grabbed him by the hair Henry winced, grabbing and tugging at the cruel hand. He let out a squeal when he was thrown against a tree, and felt Haomath cushioning his head with his bare forearm. His mind flashback-ed all the times Haomath touched him, and again he found himself in the middle of arousal and fear. He closed his eyes and shrunk back into the trunk of the tree.

He felt a sharp slap in his rear and gasped. His eyes opened wide and he stared at the king, startled.

Haomath caught his head between his hands and stared into his eyes.

"Dangerous," he mentioned to the forest making a circle in the air with his finger. Henry nodded quickly, not wanting to be hit again.

"Okay, I'm sorry," he said in the gentlest, smoothest voice he could manage.

"Dalikath, du skint-" Haomath huffed, and then enveloped his waist in a crushing hug. Henry barely noticed when the man's head came dangerously close to him own. Haomath's mouth seeked his and planted a rough kiss in his lips.

But Henry wasn't moving. Not even breathing. Haomath had hit him, and now he was kissing his mouth and he didn't knew when the world had gone mad, or why no one had cared to give him notice of that. It was different from anything he could expect. His ass tingled and the lips in his mouth were rough and chapped and they were getting wet with saliva. Haomath's tongue was digging, trying to open his mouth and Henry was getting so hot and scared, he scrunched his eyes shut and moaned miserably while his groin swelled without his permission.

Haomath leaned back and caressed his cheek again. Henry tried half heartedly to get away but Haomath easily pinned him to the tree again. Henry clenched his fingers in the strong forearms that were gripping his waist tight and tried to pry them away, but stopped when Haomath growled again. He shrunk a little into himself and felt Haomath's face burrow into his neck, sniffing and tilting his chin back, making him bare it. There really was no way out.

"Please, stop Siath, I'm so sorry-" Henry murmured pathetically, feeling his eyes sting a little. It was all tingling now, and he was confused with his own body. He still felt a sharp pain in his backside, he wanted to cry, he felt a heat just underneath his stomach, and his whole face was burning. Haomath licked his neck and nipped at the skin twice, before groaning in frustration and leaning away.

But he didn't let Henry run away. Instead he wrapped his arms around him and brought him forward, almost carrying Henry back to his royal black bulky horse.

Haomath caught him by the waist again and lifted him up easily on the saddle, this time on his side. He threw a warning look to the trembling young man and then he sent Henry's horse back home with a sharp slap to his rear. He mounted the horse sitting right behind him, the heat of his body reminding Henry it was still cold outside. The horse began a relaxed trotting and Henry, alarmed and confused, noticed they weren't going back to the castle. He tried to lean away from him but the man only chuckled. A strong arm enveloped his waist settling upon his belly, gripping his lower back. He was drawn back to the hard chest, his wish to be left alone denied. The horse kept riding.

**-.-.-.-**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Finally looking around him, after a tense ride, he could see the woods up ahead, but he wasn't in the forest anymore. Haomath had slowed the pacing. This hidden place was full of stones and bushes, nested was some kind of pond, a lagoon that was surrounded with dark slippery rocks. The lagoon itself was beautiful and he noticed hot steam in the surface. Actually this place was warmer than the forest. Henry could see the shade of the castle in the distance. _This must be the hot spring._

Still with the arm around him, Haomath leaned in to kiss his ear a few times, which made Henry's heart set off again. He tried not to move, and Haomath didn't seemed to notice.

Haomath dismounted from the horse and Henry saw him carefully take of his own cape, boots, and shirt. Henry, head still pounding, managed to take his fill of the muscular chest in front of him. But now, instead of admiring his strength, he was scared.

He drew a deep breath to calm his thoughts, but no good came. Still numb, still feeling like a giant cube of ice lodged itself in his abdomen.

Haomath smiled at him, a full smile for the first time. When he came to get him out of the horse, Henry in instinct leaned back. Haomath said a soft word and came to get him anyway. Henry tried to stop him but he was like a vice, a slows strong vice that wrapped itself around his waist and didn't give. Henry finally, hesitantly, let himself be taken. Haomath put him on the floor and hugged him in reward, rubbing his hands across his back making him arch.

Why was Haomath doing this to him? If only Henry knew the man wanted to use him that way he would never had agreed to the hunt. Henry was scared to start another fight, Haomath could lose control this time and then Henry would be damaged just like the whores he got a glimpse of in the alleys of Mithlond, the ones Alinor claimed to have visited but never had any proof. Maybe if he pretended to be compliant, Haomath would leave him alone until they came back to the castle and then Henry could run away.

Haomath was touching him again, down his waist this time. Violent Hullians. Could Haomath really get angry with him to the point of beating him up? Well, he knew that. Haomath could get angry enough to hit him, but when would he hit to hurt? The king hadn't struck Henry as someone cruel.

Maybe all those touches were building up to this, maybe the barbarian was used to bringing boys here to fuck. That made him angry. Somehow, all the presents and the attention made him feel special. Henry whined and felt tears in his eyes, he forced his arms against Haomath's chest, but it was like a wall. He saw him take his too big fur cape off, following by his belt, and then he took both their pants off. Too soon he was trembling on his linen underwear which was too ridden off easily, restraining himself not to hug Haomath for warmth.

Haomath nudged him to the lagoon, and he shook his head, but Haomath walked him to it with a little incentive of strong hands on the small of his back pushing him forward. Haomath made him enter first and dropped carefully down after him, and the water went to his stomach.

The pool was hot. That was the first think he notice.

He swam down on it, and surfaced moving the water with his hands, slightly distracted. How could it be so hot?

Haomath wrapped his arms around him from behind and nudged him to the border. Trapped in the corner, he clutched at the rocks for support, while Haomath carefully washed away his skin, getting rid of the mud mixed with snow from when he fell. Henry could only hope the king would left him alone when he was done with the washing, but he couldn't fool himself to believe it.

Haomath's fingers traveled down his chest rubbing his nipple in the process and he swallowed, body trembling. The warrior didn't seem to notice it. He felt his skin getting hotter and hotter, and he glued himself to the rocks.

Haomath's finger traveled down his torso and touched down his legs. He spread them forcefully, Henry cried out, and thick, calloused finger run through his inner thighs. He tried to clamp them closed, but Haomath was more forceful this time and he whimpered, pitifully. The fingers traveled down his shaft, bypassed his balls, and then…

He flinched and rocked himself forward and away from the curious hands, but Haomath's arm on his waist was like steel, and brought him back to his chest. He murmured little words in his ears, that sounded soothing despite he not recognizing most of them while Henry kicked his legs and squirmed.

Eventually he exhausted himself with the useless fight. He closed his eyes and tried to relax, hearing Haomath murmur in approval. _Be good, Henry,_ Haomath seemed to say again and again, but maybe it wasn't that. He noticed the _Dalikath_ word repeat some times. Again he wondered what it meant.

The man towered over him, even in the water where Henry's feet meet the ground. He could feel those feet behind him, those strong thighs between his legs, immobilizing him in that position.

He dropped his head back into Haomath's shoulder and took a deep breath, feeling Haomath kissing his temple. The hands traveled on the surface of his marble cheeks, and he let out a sigh. _It's not unpleasant_ , he told himself.

_I can do this_.

Just when he was relaxing, the tick finger probed again at his opening. He trembled and clutched at Haomath's forearm for comfort.

"Haomath..." The man only grunted. The finger rubbed and rubbed, and then dipped inside. It burned and he whined in discomfort. Shushing noises again, and the finger went deeper. Then in drew back and went up again. Despair filled him when he realized he was going to be fucked. He closed his eyes in shame, and let Haomath use his finger on him.

This went for a few times until the burn turned into a pleasant ache. He started to rock back against him without noticing he was doing it, making the warm water move all around. His cheeks burned again but Haomath encouraged the movement with kisses he felt being peppered on his shoulders, then where his neck met his jaw. He moaned when his earlobe was caught between sharp teeth.

He was hard now, dripping for this man that was a symbol of masculinity and strength. A good man. He was King Haomath. King Haomath wanted his body.

_It's okay._

The finger went deeper and when it rubbed against something strange inside, he shivered all over and arched his back like a cat. He spread his legs further apart, bum sticking out and seeming to fit perfectly in the man's big hands.

"Haomath…" He whispered. He wanted it again. He heard the chuckle and felt himself get even hotter with arousal. Haomath only held him tighter, and he felt a hardness that wasn't there before, but now that he was closer he could feel it. It could be only Haomath's cock, and he shivered with the knowledge. It felt really big, and the fact that it was probably going inside him made him shiver in fear.

Soon there was another finger joining, and the burn came back again. He shifted uncomfortably, and Haomath growled softly at him, tucking his chin in Henry's neck again to bite it softly. The ache went away and the nice feeling of that spot inside him being rubbed came back. He was feeling the strength of a wave of pleasure coming, and he shook all over in Haomath's arms. He rubbed the spot mercilessly and Henry was closer and closer to that edge, whimpering turning into moaning.

Haomath seemed to like his moans, because he ground his cock against his backside and groaned back.

A third and a forth finger joined in and the repeated motions were making Henry a wanton mess. He was now arching and twitching around Haomath's strong arm, his own hands making moon marks in the tanned forearm that caged him. He felt good marking him like that, showing a little of his pain.

Haomath with his other hand, wrapped firmly around Henry's cock and squeezed the base, making him uncomfortable.

"I want to… Haomath, please..."

Haomath kicks his legs and spread them even wider, making his rear stuck out more. He clutched at the stone, and Haomath got closer to his ear, murmuring words he didn't understood. Haomath then held his hips with both hands, spreading his cheeks a little and bringing him back to his groin, breathing heavily in his ear. He felt something really big touching first, then pushing past his entrance and he whimpered, again trying to lean forward in fear. Haomath brought his hips back again, forcing the wider part past his entrance.

It hurt, and he felt tears prickle in his eyes. Haomath's cock didn't stopped there. It went all the way in, little by little, brushing at the spot inside, and he panted along with Haomath. He shifted himself in pain, moving his hips a little, trying to get more comfortable. He felt Haomath's heavy sac touch his skin and he knew suddenly that it was all in him. All of that, filling him inside. It was something he never felt before. He was completely impaled, at the mercy of the king. Haomath was not moving. He just rested there, making small movements forward, as if to make a point. _I'm all in now._ He seemed to say with those little stabs. _You're all mine now._

He twitched and shivered around that shaft, his own aching for a touch. Henry felt himself wanting to move, to feel more of that shaft sliding inside him. Haomath let out a deep growl in his ear, purely animalistic.

This was an actual man inside, he thought. He let another man inside him, taking him. And he was a man too. A king. _Gods_...

Haomath began a small movement of rocking, back and forward. He felt Haomath cock brush _there_ , as he was calling it now, every time he moved. It was crazy, as if having the end of his pleasure right there, the whole time, but never finishing.

He rolled back to him, moaning like those whores Alinor used to tell him about, things that he never wanted to listen to.

He knew he was making Haomath feel good like this because the king started to move faster, clutching at his hips with such a strength that hurt but Henry liked that too. He wanted this, he knew it. His mouth was slack in pleasure, body relaxed and fluid, and he wanted to be like this forever, like that day in his bedroom, looking at the mountains of Hull. He never felt so good before, and knowing he was making the big, all strong, all dominant warrior lose himself inside him. It made him feel good for something. Important.

_Irreplaceable._

Haomath caught a fistful of his hair and brought him back, making Henry look up at him. Haomath was a beautiful warrior, he thought. His mouth full of sharp white teeth, eyes intense and frowning a little, as if trying to read Henry's face. He dipped down then, and took his mouth on a demanding kiss making Henry give it all up to him. And that he did, opening up, letting his thirsty tongue tangle with his. Henry had never kissed anyone like this before. He'd only received pecks from girls, innocent pecks, and then there was Haomath. This was almost sexual by itself, and Haomath trusted his tongue in and out mimicking the movement of the member in his ass.

Henry could not hold it anymore. He moaned in Haomath's mouth, and with a last grind against his spot, he arched his back and threw his head back, his cock pulsing and spurting in water of the lagoon.

In the midst of his climax, he heard the roar, and felt the pulsing shaft release the king's seed deep inside of him. He trembled with the knowledge of being claimed, felt a sharp bite in his neck and shivered again as another wave of pleasure came.

Sleepy and tired, he slowly fell back into Haomath's embrace.

**-.-.-.-**

He knew Haomath had carried him out of the water and carefully enveloped him in his fur cape. He felt the ache in his backside when they rode back into the castle, and felt the warmth of his bedroom when he was slowly placed upon the bed.

He felt the bed shift when a naked Haomath laid down on it with him. He felt the covers being put over them both and then he was crushed in an embrace, back to the other man's chest.

His body was craving those arms. He knew was feeling vulnerable. He felt like scum for having slept with his sister's future husbands, like a victim for not being able to stop it, dirty for liking it.

In the middle of total darkness, Henry whispered his last attempt to understand the universe. His broken question felt innocent, too stupid. But he said it anyway.

"Why are you marrying Diana if you like men?"

Haomath frowned and leaned on an elbow to look at his half hidden face. He inclined his head. "Diana?"

"The… your soon-to be queen-"

"My queen.' Haomath whispered, caressing Harry's cheek and smiling.

Henry frowned. "Haomath-"

"My queen. Mine." Haomath said between kisses in his brow and cheeks and the corner of his mouth.

And Henry understood.

His eyes watered, desperate scraps of words and noises escaping his throat while he tried to grab meanings.

"No, Diana, she's your queen… Hao-"

"Mine." Haomath looked deep into his eyes, intertwining his blunt rough fingers in his soft brown hair. Henry closed his, hiding from the possessive stare. He shook with head in denial and curled into himself in anger, hurt and betrayal.

"No…" he whispered to himself.

But he knew it was true. He guessed he was already suspicious if the confirmation was so easy to believe in, maybe he did made himself blind in the hope that… That he was wrong.

**-.-.-.-**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

In the midst of his tears and dizziness, he had barely heard the rushed, desperate words the king said over and over again, barely felt himself being lifted and curled in the naked man's lap.

When the tears dried and the panic gave away to anger, his waist was red and sore from the way Haomath's arms clung to him. His worried eyes were searching for a reason, looking around the room and then back to Henry, and he had felt something he never felt before. A deep, mysterious thing that uncurled from his chest like a newborn sparked to life. Henry felt a little better by it, a little comforted, and caressed the man's jaw in appreciation for something he didn't knew how to pronounce yet.

But saying "I'm okay now" over and over hadn't quieted the man down. Henry had to spend some time snuggled in his lap, being randomly kissed and randomly nodding off. His hair was petted and his back was rubbed, until he was allowed to rearranged under the covers again.

He had woken up a little out of it, eyes swollen, body naked and surface of his bed moving. It took a moment to realize it was Haomath moving from under him and leaving the bed. He dressed something he got from his trunk. It seemed like he was in a hurry, because he had peppered Henry's face with kisses and then stole a deep one that took his breath away, leaving Henry in need. Haomath seemed apologetic and kept murmuring sad words to his neck, hugging Henry's naked waist to his heavy covered torso. Henry had tentatively put his hands around the man's neck and shoulders, and ran his hands through the dark locks of hair, still sleepy and confused about his situation. It was weird how his body seemed to respond so easily to the man's caresses. Haomath shivered in his arms, and seemed thrilled about his accepting touch, sad words turning into fast, rough ones. Henry was not scared by it, he knew it meant he was happy.

Henry liked a lot of this. He liked the kisses, he liked the way Haomath took him yesterday. He liked that Haomath liked him. He liked that he belonged, somehow.

He did not liked being tricked.

It was dawning, but it wasn't obvious because the sky was dark grey. It seemed like the average sky for hull. Still, the trees and the mountains were starting to take shape in the horizon, and the cold light shone over his skin.

Getting out of the bed was hard, but after Haomath was gone, Henry knew what he had to do. Walking naked across the room, he was about to get dressed when a knock on the door came. He got a silken sheet from the bed and wrapped about himself, too frantic to do anything else.

"Come in." He knew it wasn't' Haomath because the man didn't knocked. He shouldn't. It was his room, after all.

It was Ligia who entered. He saw that she was carrying five bundles made of the same fragile cloth Henry had received his robe in as a gift in the first night. He walked up to them and, before she could say anything, clawed at the cloth until they all but dissolved in his hands and yes, five new robes going from red, blue and green. All beautiful and long robes. Hullians must not have been accustomed to robes because, much like the first one, they all had laces in the back where they could be untied. No matter. So beautiful. But gifts didn't appease him this time, he was hurt and hurting. He let them in the bed and caught a preacher's robe from his chest, ignoring Ligia.

"Oh, no Dali, you must choose one for today," she said unaware of his mood.

Henry eye's caught the robe he was given in his first night. He traced the golden lines, not in excitement and admiration anymore. In anger sadness and remorse. They were… He sighed. He couldn't lie to himself anymore. They were feminine. Slightly feminine. He picked it up, and made a mental note to set Haomath straight about these later.

"What is a 'dali'?" he asked Ligia as he dressed, and she froze a little.

"Well, it doesn't translate very well to the common, language, dali..." She stalled, folding and fussing around the sheets of the bed with unnecessary concentration.

"Answer me," he commanded.

"It... comes close to _queen_ …" Henry took a sharp breath and she flinched, still looking pointedly at the bed.

When she looked up Henry was nodding slowly, eyes glassy, almost as if he was distracted. To Ligia it seemed broken.

Then Henry chuckled bitterly. "But not exactly that, of course, how foolish!" he said. "And 'kath', what does it means, Ligia?" He asked, an edge to his voice. It was the first time Ligia heard that tone.

"Kath is _mine_ or _my_ , sometimes. Mostly _'o mine_."

"Thank you," he said, and walked out of the room, Ligia following on his heels.

He set out to find his family.

Opening every door in the castle, ignoring guards calls, no one was able to stop him from entering the library given that the guards were afraid to hurt him.

That's where he found his beautiful, wonderful family. They were standing there, talking in hushed tones. Alinor was red in the face and looked about to cry.

He screamed from the top of his lungs.

It was a sound he had never heard coming from his throat before, and they looked wild and caught. "Why did you do this to me?" He barely got the words out, hating the tears forming in his eyes. He never hurt anybody. He was so good, Henry was _so good_. "Why didn't you told me?"

His father, wide eyed, could only gape at him for second. Alinor began to say something but his mother interrupted him.

"It was for you, Henry. We didn't say anything for your sake, my baby," his mother said, walking to him. "We needed to marry Diana, and when the king said he wanted a male I… I had no choice."

"You had a choice!" Henry screeched, face red and tear streaked. She reached out for him but he slapped her hand away, and she held it to her chest, scandalized.

His father was looking at him with a disapproving look and all that was left of Henry's anger turned into sadness, screams turned into miserable sobs, and he couldn't fight them as he thought he could.

"Behave, Henry." his father said, sternly as if he was still a five year old having a tantrum.

"No! You could have told me!" he said, hating how his voice turned soft and pleading. "We could have worked something out, father-"

"You would have cried and tried to run and been a little child about like everything else you do!" His father screamed at his face and he was too scared, too stunned and too angry to move. Diana had tears on her face but they weren't sad. They were angry. Henry felt disgusted and betrayed that his father could turn his sister against him like that. Diana turned impatience eyes at him.

"The king doesn't want the unwilling. He wants a submissive little thing and, Henry, that's exactly what you are. We just had to keep you around, and you would do everything he asked you to." Diana said, subdued. Maybe she thought that knowing that would help. It didn't.

"You don't know that, you don't know Hullians. You assume that's what they want-" he choked.

"And you know them so well, don't you?" Diana mocked. "Befriending these animals, you deserve to be here."

He tried very hard to ignore her, and them something made him stop. A sudden thought that cut his heart sideways.

"Did Haomath knew?" Henry cried, heart tight with sadness. "Did he knew what you were doing?"

Lord Jeremy sighed. "No. He believes you to be compliant. And he must continued believing-"

Henry pursed his lips and shook his head. "No, you can't do this, I'll leave."

"No. You will stay, and you will fulfill your role. It's done, he claimed you, in his eyes you're already property."

Henry looked between his father and mother, and then at Diana. Such foreign faces. He saw Alinor on the corner, looking about to be sick.

"Alinor, you..."

"I swear I didn't knew, Henry!" he cried, immediately. "I would never do something like that!"

Henry gritted his teeth and walked in circles. No one in the room moved until he finally stopped, hands clutching his own hair. Tired.

"Am I that spendable for you?" He asked his father, timidly.

His father chose to said nothing. He just looked at Henry, a dead light in his eyes.

Strangely enough, Henry felt more controlled now. The tears were drying. There was no more scheme, no more suspicion. Henry could work with that, with everything in the open.

He could control this.

"I'll- I'll stay. Okay, I'll do it father."

The creeping smile in his father's face was enough to get Henry's blood boiling.

"But you have to know, father," Henry spat. "If you expected to gain something from this you are very mistaken. This is my castle now, and you aren't welcome here, and you won't take any from it ." Henry would be damned if he let Haomath be sacked by his own family.

His father laughed.

"Don't be a fool, child. You are but a woman in his eyes. You own nothing"

Henry smiled too, a sad smile and his father's face quivered. He had never seen such a smile in his son's face.

"I am the- The-" Try as he might, he couldn't get the "Q" nor the "D" word out of his mouth. He sighed, and took a deep breath. "The king will listen to me, before he listen to you."

Before his father could reply, the doors of the library opened again and this time, a distressed soldier was pointing them to a angry looking Haomath. Henry gasped when Haomath walked in and locked between him and his father in confusion.

Haomath walked to him and traced the tears in his face with a dark look. Then he slowly called the guards, and they walked to his father and one caught his hands as another caught him by the throat.

Lord Jeremy started to choke hullian things that Henry didn't understood but he did choke on his own words, trying to calm the man down. This was not what he wanted. Haomath only hugged his waist to him, murmuring things in his ear he didn't understand. Haomath's clothes were muddy, as if he had been down by the forest.

Ataveus then entered, to Henry's relief. Henry turned desperate eyes to him.

"Ata- Ataveus, tell him not to kill father-"

Ataveus held a hand to Haomath "Let's settle this like civilized people. _Dali ne zelim han blod._ "

Haomath grunted, sounding insulted. The guards relaxed their hold and his father was red and fuming.

"Enough! I'm tired of dealing with this kind of people. I want my payment now." His father said. "He's worth at least a hundred soldiers. Plus the gold, I'm being generous. This would never even be allowed in any other part of the continent." He spat in disgust. Henry flinched.

"You're sure pushing, Jeremy." Ataveus said, and it was the first time Henry heard him mad. "Could we do this in another place? Not in front of Dali."

"I. Don't. Care. We will do this right now or I take him back!"

Henry whimpered against Haomath's chest. Haomath mentioned to the soldier and they came take Henry for him. Henry started to cry. If Haomath didn't wanted him, Then he was alone. But the man only looked into his eyes and kissed his lips.

"Rest, Dalikath." He murmured.

"Please take them out of here, don't let them stay," he asked. "But don't kill them!" Haomath looked from one of his eyes to another, and then at his mouth, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Ataveus!" Haomath barked, and the man translated. Haomath caressed his cheek, still looking a little wild and confused.

"Yeth, Dali meg, yeth." He murmured in his ear, and kissed his forehead. Henry let himself be lead out the room.

"Ataveus, tell him everything," he called out before he could go. The man nodded sadly.

As he was leaving he could hear the rushed conversations.

_"...but you're lucky the king is willing to pay. He's offering a hundred soldiers, double the gold, and you go away by the morning. You're apparently upsetting dali with your presence."_

**-.-.-.-**

He heard the sound of someone running irregularly on the corridors, and turned around already expecting his brother. He heard the knocking on the door, and called out. A limping Alinor entered his room. He felt a pain in his heart, and was surprised to notice he had missed him that much.

"Kiddo!" Alinor said, smiling.

The guard immediately appeared behind him, and shifted, hand going for the sword, looking threateningly at his brother.

Alinor looked at the guard, bemused. Henry was surprised too.

"It's okay. It's just Alinor," he told the guard. "Close the door," he said, and the guard - _Kimat_ , he thought - hesitantly, closed it.

Alinor shook his head at him.

"I'm.. so sorry, Henry. We were staying in another wing of the castle, people here are so nasty, no one speak our language. I tried to get to you, but a little chubby lady said I wasn't to "bother delih" or something." He said, making faces. He sighed. "Father hadn't told me anything... If I knew-"

Henry waved his hand. "It's done now. I... It could be worse. It could be a monster.'

Alinor walked in slowly and sat beside him on the bed.

"You know... I would stay with you, but I don't think I would be welcomed."

"You can leave with father if you want to." Henry muttered. "I doubt Haomath will care."

"I'll… I'll visit. " He said, grinning. "Honestly, it's weird that you are marrying him. But if it weren't you, it would be Diana. Isn't it the same?"  
But it wasn't the same, and they both knew it.

"I would like you to visit."

Alinor smiled. Alinor wouldn't visit.

**-.-.-.-**

In the end of the day Henry laid down on the bed and waited for his husband to come.

Henry was looking at the ceiling lost in thoughts. His lips were moving to an old chant his mother used to sing to Diana when she was a teenager and scared of the prospects of arranged marriage. Never Henry's worry.

But now he felt comforted by it. Even knowing they betrayed him, Henry liked the little song. He was trembling little, only on his linen underwear over the sheets. But he wasn't cold, never cold here. Just scared. He didn't know what to do now that he knew he was supposed to be Haomath's lover. He closed his eyes in shame and fear. No, he was supposed to be Haomath's _queen_ … Or the equivalent, in Hull. What was he doing? How could he marry a man?

The door opened.

Henry looked up and saw a tired man. The fur coat was wet, as if he'd been on the snow for some time. The boots were wet too, and he took them off followed by the coat. When he saw Henry on the bed, he smiled at him, as if the sight had made the whole world better in his eyes.

Henry felt loved. Needed.

Haomath didn't took the rest of his clothes off. He just walked to the bed and crawled over Henry, and he breathed in that now familiar smell of rain and wood.

Henry spread his legs, dutifully, so his king could lay between them. Strong arms wrapped around his back, making him arch from the bed into a warm embrace. Haomath's head rested under his chin and he slowly brought his hands on top of it, intertwining his finger in the thick dark hair. For such a big man, he was very amorous.

"What happens now?" Henry said, feeling lost. Haomath lifted his head to look at him.

"Wo… Dalikath, am shalt ke kampiun du," he said, running his hands down his naked flanks soothingly.

"Du kampiun what?" Henry murmured, smiling softly.

"Du kampiun wo?" Haomath said, and laughed.

Henry wasn't okay, but somehow, he knew he was going to be.

**-.-.-.-**

The next morning found Henry gazing at the slightly dusty window of the corridor. It was a big window that went from the top of the wall, to the lower half. It was snowing outside. He could see the morning light shining over the snow, and making shades in the mountains. He could see Hullians in the distance, men leaving their homes to hunt, some children playing with the snow.

Closer to the fortress, he could see the gates of the fortress opening and a large party leaving. The carriages must be lighter now without him in it, he thought. The banner of Mithlond and another of his father's city were soaked and flapped a little with the wind.

Ataveus was beside him. He'd been there for some time, but Henry had ignored him. Ataveus knew of the marriage all along, and it annoyed Henry that he hadn't made an effort to tell. But he couldn't blame him for doing it.

"I will learn this damned language, and you will teach me." Henry said. If he was going to make a home in this country, he had communicate with Haomath.  
"Oh, well, at least one of you don't discriminate." Ataveus said, smiling softly. "Haomath things mithlorn's too soft for his vocal cords. Thinks he will sound like a fool."

"He'll change his mind," Henry said, a strange confidence in his voice. "For me."

"Oh, I don't doubt that." Alinor said, smiling softly. "I believe you can convince him to do anything."

"When it's the ceremony?"

"Two days from now. All the country will be commemorating. It's a very special day."  
Henry nodded. "I know."

"The Frost Giant will come."

Henry turned to him. "What?"

"The baby. We received the news this morning, Haomath had to run to the mountains to follow the messenger. It's a boy."

Henry smiled, remembering the frenetic king leaving the bed in the morning.. "He must be so happy."

"He is. He has a dali and a heir. And his heir has a family."

Henry swallowed. "Will I have to take care of the baby?"

"You don't have to do anything." Ataveus said. "You just have to be here."

"What will they name him?"

"They are named after the Giant gods. Onkmet, Haomath, and now, Wolfgan."

"Wolfgan." Henry smiled, and it was hard to smile when you were trying to hold tears down.. 'Wild wolf."

"Good, good, you are learning."

 

**The End**


End file.
